Company News
Hankook Tire extending Real Madrid sponsorship to 2022/23
The sponsorship agreement between Hankook Tire and Real Madrid has been extended until the end of the 2022/23 season. This continued collaboration between tyre maker and Spanish La Liga football club was sealed at a ceremony recently held at Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, and Sang Hoon Lee, Hankook Tire’s president in Europe, oversaw proceedings.
Valeo unveils autonomous, electric delivery droid
Valeo has recently unveiled its autonomous, electric delivery droid prototype at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. The Valeo eDeliver4U was developed in partnership with Meituan Dianping, China’s leading e-commerce platform for services, which operates popular food delivery service Meituan Waimai.
Michelin, HDI partner for fleet risk reduction
Michelin and commercial insurance provider HDI Global SE have entered into a partnership to reduce road risk for vehicle fleets. Fleet vehicles will be equipped with a connected box to collect driving data, which is processed and fed back to the driver via the Ideal Driver Pro application and to the fleet manager via an indicator report. Through this method each vehicle will produce a “driving score,” designed to increase understanding of the impact of driving behaviour on claims rates, and to identify risky driving behaviours and provide professionals with the necessary means to raise awareness and train drivers with a coaching module.
CDP names Pirelli Climate Change leader for second year
Pirelli & C. S.p.A. has been counted as a global leader in the fight against climate change by CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) for the second year in a row.
Pirelli: Nokian merger rumours false
Market rumours that Pirelli is considering a €9 billion (£7.7 billion) merger with Finland's Nokian Tyres have been quashed by company spokespeople. Reports that such a deal was on the horizon emerged in mid-January and were then fuelled by re-reporting in the British and Italian press. However, these stories are “without foundation”, according to two Milan-based Pirelli spokespeople that Tyres & Accessories interacted with. Nokian has yet to comment.
Beissbarth acquires API Car Systems
German workshop machinery and equipment manufacturer Beissbarth GmbH has acquired API Car Systems GmbH, a developer of robotic systems for touchless wheel alignment. Stargate Capital, which acquired Beissbarth along with Sicam in 2018, reports that API Car Systems became a Beissbarth company as of 1 January 2020. It will continue as a separate legal entity, with its headquarters remaining in Leipzig, Germany.
Finalists for 2020 Tire Tech awards named
The shortlist of nominees for this year’s Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence have been announced. Each of the five main awards categories will be contested by five to seven contenders; the winners will be announced on 26 February, as will the recipients of two further awards, the 2020 Young Scientist Prize and Lifetime Achievement Award.
Premiere for ‘Falken film’ today
Start making the popcorn – a new film from Falken Tyres is about to debut. Called ’20 Years, 20 Stories’, the film covers the brand’s 20th-anniversary celebration at the 24 Hours Nürburgring last year and shares the experience of the legendary race as told by 24 people before, during and after the event.
Goodyear declares dividend on common stock
Directors of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.16 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable 2 March 2020 to shareholders of record on 3 February 2020. The payout represents an annual rate of 64 cents per share.
Kordsa Global Leadership Summit in Istanbul
Executives from Kordsa's production facilities around the world came together at the annual Global Leadership Summit. In addition to reviewing 2019 and sharing 2020 goals, world-renowned speakers Peter Marsh, the author of The New Industrial Revolution, and Chris Barez-Brown, founder of Upping Your Elvis, were also present at the summit. Kordsa’s annual Global Leadership Summit, bringing together leaders from all production facilities around the world, took place in Istanbul on 7 January.
Goodyear buys two VI-grade driving simulators for tyre development
Goodyear has purchased new VI-grade driving simulators, including a dynamic model, to enhance its product development. The tyre manufacturer has selected a Compact Simulator recently delivered to the company’s innovation centre in Luxembourg and a Dynamic Driving Simulator DiM250 (Driver-in-Motion) to be installed in Akron, Ohio, in the coming months.
Michelin installs Ansible Motion compact driving simulator to assist tyre R&D
Michelin is installing a new Ansible Motion Driver-in-the-Loop (DIL) simulator at its North America Research & Development centre in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. The Theta C simulator offers virtual test driving and evaluation of tyre-road-vehicle interactions in advance and in parallel with physical testing, with detailed simulation environments. Michelin is the first company to take delivery of the Theta C simulator since the product was formally launched.
Sumitomo Rubber sets up rubber procurement company
After considering a number of factors, such as a changing business environment as well as growing awareness of human rights and environmental considerations, Sumitomo Rubber Group has established its own local organisation for procuring natural rubber. It has done so via its member company Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which this month set up Sumitomo Rubber Singapore Pte. Ltd. This entity, located in the world’s largest natural rubber trading hub, will commence operations in April.
Kwik Fit taking Alphabet partnership into third decade
The long-standing relationship between Kwik Fit and Alphabet (GB) Limited has been extended by a new sole-supply contract. This latest agreement with the fleet leasing and business mobility specialist will see Kwik Fit continue its supply of tyres and a range of ancillary services across Alphabet’s fleet of almost 140,000 company cars and vans for at least three more years.
Cabot buys Chinese nanotube supplier for $115 million
On 6 January 2020, Cabot China Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cabot Corporation agreed to buy Shenzhen Sanshun Nano New Materials Co., Ltd, a leading carbon nanotube (CNT) producer in China. The $115 million pricetag reportedly includes “liabilities and contingent payments”. According to the company, the move is designed to strengthen Cabot’s position in the high-growth batteries market, particularly in China, which is the largest and fastest growing electric vehicle market in the world.